With not only the increased costs involved in the use of automobiles running on gasolene or diesel fuels, but because of the increasing dependence of this country on foreign countries for the supply of oil for these fuels, efforts are being made to cut down the consumption of such fuels and to promote the increased supply of fuels from our own country as well as the development of new technologies.
One way which seems to have promise in the area of reduced fuel consumption is to cut down to the number of automobiles which are used daily for transporting a few passengers per car, often only the driver, over the roadways of the country and to rely more on the use of public or mass transportation systems utilizing buses, trains, etc.
Public transportation systems such as those mentioned above often serve well in providing transportation for large numbers of passengers in the local areas and in movements involving longer distances. There is a considerable saving of fuel as compared to the amount of fuel required in the use of many automobiles.
Obviously a person using a public transportation system loses some degree of mobility as compared to the situation where he uses an automobile. These public systems are almost always laid out to operate over fixed routes and with designated loading and unloading areas or stops. These routes and stops maybe, in many cases, perfectly acceptable to some passengers but, on the other hand, many may find the choices available to them just do not satisfy their transportation needs and many tend to fall back on the use of their own automobiles.
An additional factor which, it would seem, affects the decision as to whether or not to use a transportation system carrying large numbers of passengers is the need for additional transportation from the passenger's point of departure from such public system to the point or points which he wants to reach. The person must also consider the efforts involved in reaching a point where he can utilize the public transportation system.
The above-mentioned considerations with respect to mobility at departure and arrival points interconnected by public transportation systems appears to be a real factor in the decision by many to use the automobile for travelling relatively long distances on vacation trips or trips for various personal needs. To some extent the desired mobility can be maintained after using a mass transportation system during one or more legs of a trip by relying on facilities presently available. Thus car rental systems do provide means for achieving mobility but are not always available and, of course, there are the costs involved. Taxis are another means which can be utilized.
Another factor which apparently influences a traveler's decision as to whether or not he should use his automobile on a trip is the load he must take with him. If a small amount of baggage is involved it may be fairly easy to interchange between public transportation or mass transportation systems and other systems available at departure and destination points. On the other hand this may be difficult and expensive if a large amount of baggage and/or other loads need to be carried.
In view of the above it seems that there would be many advantages to providing means whereby a number of passengers could be carried between points on a public transportation system and at the same time their automobiles could accompany them for use as desired before utilizing the system or after leaving the system. Applicant is aware that this is accomplished to a limited extent today, as for example, by an auto and train service which, it is understood, operates between Florida and northern points. The automobiles of travellers are loaded on the train at a departure point and the travellers board the train as passengers. The automobiles are then ready for the passengers when they leave the train. It is further understood that a limited number of other train routes are available and others are contemplated.
A limiting factor in the large scale use of the train and auto concept is the fact that there are many localities which are no longer, or ever were, connected by rail lines. On the other hand most localities are connected through a network of roadways and because of this the present invention provides many benefits heretofore not available to travellers.
The concept of transporting passengers with their automobiles over the roadways of this country has been developed, to some extent, by others and the inventor is aware of the transportation systems disclosed in the Forsyth et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,933,258, issued on Jan. 20, 1976, and 3,785,514, issued on Jan. 15, 1974. As disclosed by these patents a transporter vehicle carries a plurality of electrically driven passenger vehicles, with the passenger riding therein, over highways and roads. The vehicles are available for the passengers at loading and unloading points.